It’s a long and lengthy process to explain why I cooked what I cooked for the Smitten Kitchen get together at the Lodge on Saturday. I’ll spare you the three hour explanation, but basically the meal wound up being an amalgam of many, many of the suggestions I received in last week’s “What Should I Make for Lunch?” contest, not to mention the fact that now I pretty much have a mile-long list of fabulous lunch ideas for future get-togethers. I’m set.

Rather than individually lay out the recipes in separate posts, I’ll just give you a chronological rundown of what I made for lunch Saturday. Then I’ll give you my summation, my closing arguments, and my juris prudence doctorate tort reform verdict.

I really missed my calling as an attorney.

I woke up and washed a bunch (well, several bunches) of asparagus. (Sorry about the light. This is 5 am light in my house. Harsh. Requires coffee, fast.)

I drizzled the asparagus with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt, and put it into a very hot (450 degrees) oven. I was making this Roasted Asparagus.

While the asparagus was roasting, I boiled a whole bunch of thin linguine. I watched it carefully, making sure not to overcook it. However, I was also careful not to UNDERcook it either, since I was going to serve it cool/room temperature. Sometimes al dente is even more al dente when the pasta is cold, so when I grabbed a piece to test it here and there, I’d be sure to run it under cool water first.

After I drained the pasta, I drizzled it with sesame oil. NOTE: this is very mild sesame oil sold in a medium-sized bottle and shouldn’t be confused with the ultra-flavorful sesame oil in the asian aisle (which, by the way, we will also be using in this dish.) Really, you could also just use olive oil. The purpose is simply to coat the noodles so they don’t get dried out and sticky.

I laid a clean dish towel over the noodles and set them aside.

Next, it was time to make the dressing for my pasta salad. I wanted an Asian-inspired flavor, but also wanted the salad to be different from the one I prepared for the Bakerella get together in March. So I started with several cloves of garlic: I think this is about five.

Try smelling five cloves of garlic at 5:30 am. Shew. It’s a good thing I wasn’t pregnant.

Threw ‘em in the food processor. A blender would work fine, too.

Chopped them up.

Then I threw in 1 cup of chunky peanut butter. It’s what I had on hand, but creamy would work fine, too.

Then I poured in 1 cup of soy sauce (Note: later, I’ll decide I should have used more.)

Then I added about 3 tablespoons tarragon red wine vinegar (I had it in my pantry).

And 1/4 cup of brown sugar. (Note: later, I’ll throw in more.)

Then I gave this a blend and tasted it. I sprinkled in a little salt, a little more vinegar, and a little more brown sugar. No more peanut butter, though—I definitely tasted that.

Next, I grabbed some red chile oil (sold in the Asian aisle) and added a couple of tablespoons. (Note. Later. More.)

Next, I turned on the food processor and poured in 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup sesame oil (NOT the ultra flavorful stuff.) You could easily use 1/2 cup olive oil and omit the sesame oil altogether.

Now I’m going to confuse you. I also drizzled in 1 tablespoon of the flavorful sesame oil and let it get mixed in. It adds a great flavor, but can quickly overpower if you’re not careful.

I decided to make my Roasted Beef Tenderloin, but with a twist. (Oh! And my lovely knife-wielding husband Marlboro Man trimmed this for me early Saturday morning because he promised to love, honor, cherish, and trim my beef tenderloin.) First I liberally salted it with kosher salt, sprinkled with a little sugar (enhances the flavor), and drizzled it with olive oil.

Amen.

Into a large Ziploc, I poured black peppercorns and a whole buncha coriander seed. Coriander seed, if planted, turns into…cilantro! And it’s a wonderful spice for many different things.

I whacked the heck out of it with a rolling pin until all the seeds were popped and partially crushed. Then I pressed it all over the surface of the meat.

Meanwhile, back at the salad: I poured the peanut dressing over the cool linguine and tossed it together, then tossed in plenty of chopped cilantro and sliced green onions. Then I piled it on a platter and added more cilantro.

I kind of love cilantro. Can you tell? And notice that the coriander seed on the meat is a nice tie-in

When I pulled out the meat, I let it rest for about ten minutes. (Then I couldn’t stand it any more and made a slice right in the middle of it. I like to see how done it is inside.

It was sliced up within a few minutes, so no one really noticed.

The Juris Prudence Verdict Summation Tort Decision

The meat was wonderful; as long as you don’t overcook it, it’s hard to mess up tenderloin.

The asparagus was great; roasted asparagus always is.

The pasta salad: the flavor was wonderful—peanut, soy, cilantro. All the wonderful things in life. But the texture was all wrong. The tossed, finished salad wound up being too “tacky” and a little on the dry side, and after the lunch was over I determined the two reasons why:

1. Because of the large amount of sticky peanut butter in the dressing, it needed a lot more liquid (mostly soy sauce) to compensate for the stickiness. A little more red wine vinegar wouldn’t hurt, either—it might cut the heavy texture of the peanut butter a bit.

2. I added the dressing to too much pasta. It would have covered the noodles better if I’d made increased the dressing-to-noodle ratio.

Overall, it was a yummy lunch!

***For a photo the finished lunch, read this post on my friend Kristie’s site: The Scoop

Preparation Instructions

Make the dressing: in a blender or food processor, add garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Pulse until smooth. Add chili oil and pulse again until smooth.

With the food processor on, pour in other oils until mixture is smooth and pourable. Thin with water to get desired consistency if necessary. Chill dressing until ready to use.

To assemble the salad, combine linguine, dressing, cilantro, and green onions. Toss to combine. Add dressing gradually and toss until the noodles are sufficiently coated. Toss with more cilantro for a garnish.

194 Comments

101

junebugga On Monday, April 27 at 6:55 pm

You said “shew”! That’s exactly how I say it too.

I find that peanut butter takes over the flavor of any salad. I don’t like it in a pasta salad or thai salad or any of those things. I wish I could find a substitute for it. I wonder how tahini would do in place of peanut butter.

i make something similar which i love. always make more sauce because if there’s any left over, i can use it as a dip for vegetables and eggs or as a sauce on meat. so delicious and leaves my mouth absolutely buzzing.
luv ya
xxoo

104

Joann On Monday, April 27 at 7:23 pm

just thought i’d let you know that i make a similar asian salad, but use rice noodles. i also add chopped red peppers and avocado. lovely! try the rice noodles next time! they don’t dry out like regular pasta.

karyn On Monday, April 27 at 8:29 pm

i would say to toss the noodles while they are right out of the water that way you can use the pasta water to loosen. then let cool a bit then add cilantro and onions while warm that would release their flavors too. It will be cold in no time. Also the chunky PB would of been like making PB yoself with peanuts in it and prbly made it grainy like the Natural PB. Creamy would be the ticket. I am gonna try it looks great.

Looks fantastic! My hubby is allergic to peanuts so I get most of my peanut groove on by reading posts like this one. Thanks for the ‘eye candy’!

115

Angela On Monday, April 27 at 8:51 pm

I make a noodle/peanut butter sauce dish like that all the time. It’s from The New Basics cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso (page 141). It calls for chicken but I found out long ago that it’s fine without chicken and is a great potluck dish because it’s good at room temp and is Ok for vegetarians…vegans even. And it calls for a lot of soy sauce.

116

Suzzanne On Monday, April 27 at 9:00 pm

Hi Ree, Looks like a wonderful lunch. I would agree with #104, CREAMY, not chunky, for a nice smooth sauce. Then the texture would be just right. I keep chunky PB in my pantry, but I buy creamy PB just for Asian salad dressing due to a bad experience trying to use chunky. Then you can mix with a whisk and avoid having a food processor to clean up. Water to help thin the sauce works great. Oh, I love the flavors and have never thought of serving with beef tenderloin, but I bet it was terrific. Suzzanne

Yeah, but only – where’s the TORT?? Erhhmm…”torte”. I mean, I read through the whole thing after I saw “tort” and there’s no kinda dessert in there any which-where? Mmmm, dessert….truthfully, though – you had me at the asparagus.

Your lunch sounds wonderful. Just wanted to add that when I make a very similar asian peanut butter dressing I add water to thin it out a bit. Plain ol’ water works great.

120

Miss M.J. Ma'am On Monday, April 27 at 9:37 pm

Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve made this before and had the same result. BUT, when I went to toss it (I mean throw it away!) I noticed all the liquid had pooled at the bottom. So I inverted the bowl, and let it sit for a couple of hours. And behold,it was great! All coated and delish. Sooo we can learn from our foibles!! (sounds like a fractured fairy tale!)

121

Astrid On Monday, April 27 at 9:40 pm

Re: the peanut sauce — here’s what you did wrong. The sauce is too thick. When you are cooking the noodles (it’s preferable to use noodles), scoop up about a half-cup of the noodle water and set it aside. Add that water to your peanut mixture to thin it — then the sauce will coat the noodles, instead of glomming on to it and making it dry. I don’t recommend adding straight soy to thin — it could turn out incredibly salty.

Re: the noodles. I understand you live out in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that your grocery store has an Asian foods aisle. Check to see if they have packaged udon — I prefer that with peanut noodles because it’s chewier and more substantive.

Re: the vinegar — rice wine vinegar is a more authentically Asian taste than red wine vinegar. I recommend you check it out.

Re: the add-ins. I applaud your use of cilantro, but you should pair that with chopped up scallions. These two flavors go great together and the scallions will add texture.

If you don’t mind a suggestion, I would have added lime juice to the peanut dressing-that would have helped the tackiness and added a nice fresh flavor as well. I have a similar recipe for peanut sauce, it also has some fresh ginger and chile sauce and it’s delicious!

127

Nancy On Monday, April 27 at 10:40 pm

Sounds delicious!!

128

Cici Clawson On Monday, April 27 at 10:50 pm

Need to introduce you to Vietnamese Coriander – it grows all year in our part of the prairie, and you can overwinter it in your house/garage. It has a GREAT flavor – cilantro with a little citrus-y flavor. It looks like a good time was had by all!!

129

Cici Clawson On Monday, April 27 at 10:51 pm

Actually, it grows all SEASON in our part of the prairie – although still technically correct in growing all year if you bring it in…

Oh man. I’m pretty sure you won’t read this comment, much less respond to it, but oh man. I’m just a casual reader of Smitten Kitchen (swear I’m not a blog-stalker), and I know that Deb H.A.T.E.S cilantro. So I’m dying to know if she ate the salad. I’m really sorry if this comes across as rude. . .it’s certainly not intended that way. Just commisserating on a hostessing nightmare.

Mmm, I love asian-inspired noodles, I’ll have to try this! And that tenderloin is calling me, oh no!

134

Jenn On Monday, April 27 at 11:13 pm

When I want to make peanut sauce for noodles, I use the recipe Molly from Orangette posted on her blog (it’s the creation of her husband, Brandon) . It’s citrusy a little spicy and just perfect. I will note that some times, depending on type of peanut butter you use, the consistency can be thicker than it’s supposed to be (it’s normally thinnish and smooth), so I’ll add more water, and a bit more soy sauce. I usually use it with soba noodles, and lots of raw veggies. My kids will eat leftovers of this noodle dish from the fridge, veggies and all (which is a miracle in my book).

*stepho* On Monday, April 27 at 11:37 pm

This looks great! I love peanut butter based Asian dressings. A really great ingredient to add to your dressings to thin them out without adding tons of soy (which can get too salty) is (cold or room temp) chicken or vegetable broth. Just a few tablespoons at a time whisked into the dressing can thin it out to the perfect consistency without overpowering the peanut/sesame/soy flavor.

I am so jealous of the guests at your cooking extravaganza with Deb! I’m huge fans of both of you. Keep the AMAZING recipes coming!

Jennifer On Tuesday, April 28 at 6:41 am

Drooling over here …wish I could afford tenderloin or any beef for that matter. I miss beef!

138

Sharon On Tuesday, April 28 at 7:44 am

OH YUM!

139

MNClaire On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:06 am

Ooooh. I’ve made that spicy peanut pasta before…you can also top it with chopped cucumber, julienned green onions and chopped asparagus, too. It’s VERY yummy and always a hit with our friends.

140

Ursula On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:10 am

What a wonderful lunch!!!! Makes me want to get up and cook! But my twin pregnancy belly is too big for me right now to stand up for longer than a few minutes:( Guess I’ll have to wait until after I deliver (which is SOON!!!!)… Shedding those pregnancy pounds will not be easy, jejeje!

Maryann On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:13 am

That looks amazing. Will be making it soon!

142

p.j. On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:17 am

Ree,
Good morning. Someone above may have already suggested this, so I apologize if this is a repeat:

The noodle dish is best assembled just before serving. Otherwise, the noodles tend to absorb the liquid from the sauce, and the dish does get “tacky,” as you experienced
When I take my “cold noodles and sesame sauce” to potlucks, I bring the sauce and noodles in separate containers & mix just before serving.
This is my family’s favorite summer Sunday night supper–I add leftover chicken, asparagus, sliced cucumber, etc. Top it off with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Cilantro if available.
The sauce freezes well, and is handy to have on hand, as it doesn’t get solid, and I can just scoop out what I need for a quick throw-together with leftover pasta.
I’ve enjoyed this series, Ree. Thanks, p.j.

143

Robyn On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:21 am

I make a peanut sauce to go with spring rolls, and it works really well for that. Not sure how it would be on pasta, but in case you’d like a different take on peanut sauce, here it is!

rere On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:33 am

Mmmmmmm! I love the asparagus and beef…. I’m embarrassed to admit I can’t get into the peanut butter and noodles… Never could get into sesame noodles. dunno why … just quirky like that i guess

146

Julie On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:58 am

Stacey (#54) hit on my recommendation–hot water loosens up peanut sauce in preparation for all of the liquid that noodles soak up, and doesn’t mess up the flavor balance once you get it “just right”. I like to make this with rice noodles (same shape as linguini), which you can find in the asian aisle.

This is also great with pork tenderloin or flank steak. I LOVE me some beef tenderoin, but those cuts are a bit more economical and the right size for a smaller group.

It is nice to know that you were able to accept the slight imperfection of the noodle dish. I stress out over things like that. Perfectionism can be crippling.
But I must say your food ALWAYS looks drool worthy!

PennyPue On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:07 am

This is the kind of cooking I dream about. I don’t actually DO it…..nor would I try. But oh the sweet fantasies…….

150

Sara On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:12 am

How did you make the “berries and cream” dessert??

151

stacyrings On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:21 am

I think you miss a step…how did you cook the meat?

152

ValerieD4 On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:25 am

Since I am SO not a cook, I wonder why I’m evening typing this. I would suggest using a thick spaghetti instead of thin linguini. My SIL is from Taiwan and makes awesome peanut butter noodles. I think the heavy-ish peanut sauce needs a more substantial noodle.

153

Tami On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:28 am

Hey Ree, I grad schooled at OSU – Go Cowboys! Does that qualify me for a chance to get my hands on your range? Um … the stove top in that state-of-the-art lodge kitchen, what were you thinking??! How about if I bring my chef husband along for kicks?

Seriously though, I liked the peanut sauce recipe, but have two ideas I will probably try when recreating this for myself:

1) How about using fresh peanuts & crushing them into a paste & mixing in a bit of coconut milk to make the peanut paste creamier (instead of peanut butter)? This might reduce the tackiness.

2) What about adding a bit of curry powder (just a dash) and about 3 tablespoons of ginger paste or crushed ginger root? Just an idea.

Love, love your site – esp the cooking. Thank you for sharing your beautiful self with the world, and those recipes … Girl, Rachel Ray can’t hold a CANDLE to you! And neither can that Jersey-born matriarch, Martha Stewart! You Rock!

154

Reenah On Tuesday, April 28 at 10:04 am

hey Ree
you pretty much made the same thing I had suggested ( the same foods you made for Bakerella’s visit.)
I should’ve won at least one of the kitchen aid mixers….;-(

155

JennC On Tuesday, April 28 at 10:08 am

I make a peanut stir fry with almost the same ingredients except I use:
– Chicken broth, which helps cut the thick PB consistency
– Sweet Chili Sauce (instead of red chile oil) and
– Chopped ginger

Your version looks delicious!! Thanks P-dub!

156

Katie On Tuesday, April 28 at 11:06 am

I have the same sticky problem with pb sauce! I add a wad of fresh GINGER and rice vinegar (mmmmm) to my peanut sauce. Peanut and ginger…..mmmmmm…..

157

Amy in MN On Tuesday, April 28 at 11:17 am

If this is lunch I’m coming over! I make asparagus like this all the time. It is a family favorite. My husband used to be an over-the-road driver for a produce co. and he would come home with crates of fresh asparagus! yummmm

I hate cilantro (we calli t coriander in the UK) – but I LOVE coriander seed…. would that make me a difficult guest?

161

erin On Tuesday, April 28 at 12:34 pm

Small suggestion…when I make a similar peanut dressing and pasta dish I’ve always found that it works best if I toss the sauce over it at the very last minute before serving. And I also use bigger noodles like someone suggested. I opt for linguine.
As always though, you flat out amaze me. I have one baby and feel inept about everything. You have 4, blog better than anyone, homeschool, get the cooking done, and I think you run a lodge (never really figured out if that was a place like a hotel that people can stay at…I’m sure it is, just not sure how one would ever make reservations.) Well done!

162

Christine On Tuesday, April 28 at 1:06 pm

Hi. In case no one else has suggested this, the way I prevent that tacky texture with sesame/peanut noodles is to *rinse* the noodles in cold water right after they are finished cooking and drained. This is, of course, absolutely the opposite of what you want to do when serving hot pasta with sauce, when you want the starch on the outside of the pasta. For more slippery noodles that don’t require mind-blowing amounts of oil to keep loose, rinse that starch off. It cools the noodles immediately, too, preventing residual cooking. Looks like a great lunch!

My husband and I make that salad all the time. I love it. But our kids hate it. Oh well. So yummy. I know it’s supposed to be eaten cold, but I like it warm too. Now that is a meal I would have loved.

164

Lisa Westbrook On Tuesday, April 28 at 2:43 pm

I used to think steamed asparagus was great, but now I only roast it; it is the way to go. A couple of things to pump up the flavor–after asparagus comes out of oven, drizzle a little lemon juice over the spears, then lightly sprinkle freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Also choose fat spears over thin ones, if you have a choice. The thicker ones have more flavor. I learned this thanks to Ina Gartner, the Barefoot Contessa, who is big on roasting vegetables.

Sandy On Tuesday, April 28 at 3:03 pm

Lolo Bee On Tuesday, April 28 at 3:28 pm

OK I made this salad last night. It reminded me of one of my favorite Trader joe’s salads…I think I must have made it wrong. I used fettuccini rigate (a little wider than linguini, but with ridges on them to really grab that sauce!). I used 1.5 lbs of pasta, but the dressing was WAY too runny/much for the amount of pasta. I acutally ended up draining about 1/4 cup out. In my opinion, it was way salty, I’d use a little less soy sauce…And I added 6 garlic cloves! YUM and garlicky. After sitting in the dressing overnight, for lunch today it was really good! I even shared too…:)

WOW, such a treat! They all look so good…the pictures are so pretty. Thanks!

170

amy On Tuesday, April 28 at 5:29 pm

Okay PW, thank you for sharing this fab looking lunch. And the fab looking time had by all during Deb’s visit.
Now, I want to hear about your JEWELRY! Don’t go trying to hide your stylin’ self … I saw the pics of your casual yet hip outfit & awesome JEWELRY that you did not post here at home – Please tell us all about it!

171

patricia On Tuesday, April 28 at 6:32 pm

Hi Ree, just stopping in to say that I like your tea parties. These recipes look easy and delicious, hugs!!!

172

Nutmeg On Tuesday, April 28 at 7:01 pm

Mmm, that tenderloin… I would love to bite into a steak right now but my mouth is frozen from the dentist.

Ree, your website has made me drool on so many occasions! Now I’d like to show you and yer readers a website my sister just posted – the perfect place for people who want to dizzy themselves with foodie pics: http://www.tastespotting.com/

You can search, browse categories, and then click on the pics to go the website where its recipe is located. Enjoy!

I love to make Thai Peanut Noodles!!! I have a few suggestions for you (Hope you don’t mind!). Next time, mix in some VERY hot water with the peanut butter to help thin it. Also, Rice Vinegar works so much better with the flavor (IMO). It makes it lighter tasting and fresher. Thinning the peanut butter with the water and using Rice Vinegar will help with the sticky noodles. I always cook my noodles the night before, rinse with cold water, drain well, and store in the ‘fridge in a zippered bag (if they are sticking together when you are ready to use them, just rinse with cold water and drain again). You don’t have to worry about coating the noodles with oil (may be another cause of the sticky) and it saves you time later.

I love it! Glad you had a wonderful time. Great idea to pair the tenderloin and change the spices.

176

Chelsea On Wednesday, April 29 at 2:39 am

Consider sprinkling some sugar over the asparagus before you cook it (I broil mine). It makes it magical…I promise.

177

liliana On Wednesday, April 29 at 9:24 am

I noticed you used chili oil and then later added more. I have a great recipe for a peanut sauce, I assure you, the way to get the right amount of heat is with red chili paste, also in the “Ethnic Food Aisle” (gosh I really hate the fact that it’s named that in my super market!) It’s called, Sambal Oelek in other parts of the world… but I assure you i will meet your needs and keep you warm at night.

178

liliana On Wednesday, April 29 at 9:25 am

I will not meet your needs…. IT will meet your needs …. LOL what a freudian slip aye? hehe

179

Susan in Seattle, WA On Wednesday, April 29 at 1:59 pm

I would go for the asparagus and steak but the noodle dish didn’t tempt me at all. Since we rarely eat sugar and white flour never, the cinnamon rolls wouldn’t do it for me either. But I enjoy many of your recipes – thanks!

I dont know if you will ever read this, with all these comments. I make a really great pork tenderloin, done the same, slammed over, stove top stuffing for pork or chicken made on top of stove and patted on tenderloin, topped with more pork tenderloin. Sal, pepper, thyme, garlic
baked in oven 350 till pork is done, I use a thermometer. I serve it with gravy, and scalloped potates and roasted vegetables.

181

Anne Pandey On Thursday, April 30 at 1:07 pm

I cannot do without my cast iron pans. They are better than non-stick when they’re seasoned properly and soooo affordable. They’re a little on the heavy side but that’s fine with me!

182

CRYSTAL On Thursday, April 30 at 1:53 pm

I can not,with out a doubt live without my large
cutting board.

183

jennie On Thursday, April 30 at 3:02 pm

Unlike a large number of people responding, I do not have the pleasure of owning a kitchen aide mixer. If I did I’m sure it’d be my absolute favorite. Until that day, I’ll choose my handy dandy iron skillet grill thinga ma jig. It makes you think I spent hours outside grilling, when in reality I was just too lazy to pull out the bbq.

My favorite thing in the kitchen would have to be my mini cuisinart food processor because I make my son’s babyfood with it. It’s a must have!

186

james fastook On Thursday, April 30 at 5:02 pm

i have a really nice cutting knife, with which I prepare almost ALL my food

187

pamela On Friday, May 1 at 7:38 am

I ABSOLUTELY NEED MY RICER FOR FLUFFLY MASHED POTATOES

188

Kathy Nikolas On Friday, May 1 at 8:51 am

This is hard but I think I would have to say good wooden spoons ( I use them for serving, mixing up cooking dough, on the stove) my grandmother’s cast iron skillet and my favorite glazed stoneware casserole dish.

189

Rebecca Cox On Friday, May 1 at 10:30 am

Such a inconsistent cook I am!!! But! After a demo at the Sam’s Club store, I splurged and now I love, love, love my vita-mix! Coming in 2nd are my bamboo spoons!

190

Sue Wilson On Friday, May 1 at 4:49 pm

I love my Pampered Chef food chopper…quick and easy when I don’t want to get out the food processer.

nycowgirl On Tuesday, June 9 at 5:32 pm

I don’t know if I can stand to look at peanut butter and garlic together in the same dish but I’ll try it cause you haven’t steered me wrong yet. And I bet you do a lot of steering there on the ranch! ):o That’s my version of a steer. (hee hee)